On display

Biscuit Box

Biscuit Box
1901-1902 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Arthur Lasenby Liberty began to sponsor a range of original silverwork and jewellery in 1898. He called it Cymric. He staged the first exhibition in his London shop in the spring of 1899. Although he registered the mark at the Goldsmiths' Company in his name, most of the silver and jewellery was made by W. H. Haseler of Birmingham, who became a joint partner in the project. Oliver Baker and the Silver Studio in Brook Green, London, supplied designs. One of the most gifted designers that the Silver Studio employed was Archibald Knox. He came from the Isle of Man and had worked for the designer Christopher Dresser. He supplied most of the Liberty metalwork designs between 1899 and 1912.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBiscuit Box (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Silver, decorated with enamel and mother-of-pearl, with double hinged lid
Brief description
Biscuit Box, Silver, enamel and mother of pearl, Birmingham hallmarks for 1901-02, mark of Liberty and Co., made by W.H. Haseler, probably designed by Archibald Knox.
Physical description
Silver, decorated with enamel and mother-of-pearl. An upright, rectangular box with a double hinged lid and a flat, square base. The sides of the box are decorated with an interlaced motif and green rectangular enamels. The lid is set with two areas of mother of pearl.
Dimensions
  • Height: 19.0cm
  • Length: 13.0cm
  • Width: 9.0cm
Marks and inscriptions
Birmingham hallmarked for 1901, Maker’s mark of Liberty & Co. (Cymric) Ltd.
Credit line
Formerly in the collection of Charles and Lavinia Handley-Read.
Object history
A L Liberty turned his attention to sponsoring a range of original silverwork and jewellery in 1898 which was given the name, Cymric for the first exhibition, he staged in his shop in the Spring of 1899. Although the mark registered at the Goldsmiths' Company was registered in his name, the majority of the silver and jewellery was made by W H Haseler of Birmingham, who became a joint partner in the project to designs supplied by Oliver Baker and the Silver Studio, Brook Green, London. Archibald Knox, a Manxman who had worked for Christopher Dresser was one of the most gifted designers employed by the Silver Studio and he supplied the majority of Liberty metalwork designs between 1899 and 1912.

Formerly in the collection of Charles and Lavinia Handley-Read.
Summary
Arthur Lasenby Liberty began to sponsor a range of original silverwork and jewellery in 1898. He called it Cymric. He staged the first exhibition in his London shop in the spring of 1899. Although he registered the mark at the Goldsmiths' Company in his name, most of the silver and jewellery was made by W. H. Haseler of Birmingham, who became a joint partner in the project. Oliver Baker and the Silver Studio in Brook Green, London, supplied designs. One of the most gifted designers that the Silver Studio employed was Archibald Knox. He came from the Isle of Man and had worked for the designer Christopher Dresser. He supplied most of the Liberty metalwork designs between 1899 and 1912.
Bibliographic reference
Illustrated in English Silver from 1660, V&A, Eric Turner p.40.
Collection
Accession number
M.25-1972

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Record createdMarch 3, 2004
Record URL
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